Internal-combustion engine.



m him iv W. H. SCHOONIVIAKER.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FlLED OCT. 25, 1911.

1,182,803. Patented May9,1916.

I ILI WITNESSES ATTORNEY? is not material.

an: snares ATEN oron.

WILLIAM H. SCHOONMAKER, 0F MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Application filed October 25, 1911.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that-I, WILLIAM H. SCHOON- MAKER,a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Montclair, county ofEssex, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new anduseful'lmprovements in Internal-Combustion Engines, of. which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of my invention is to provide a means for starting internalcombustion engines of the four-cycle automobile type, by means of whichthe machine may be brought up to normal speed with certalnty and withoutviolent shocks to the engine and also an apparatus which will becomparativelysimple in its organizatiommaking it practicable forautomobiles of all classes.

To this end the invention resides in a peculiar arrangement by which Iam enabled to bring about the initial movement of the engine at theoperation of air pressure or other fluid under pressure, which servesnot only to turn the engine over, but to bring into action an excellentstarting System, this system in turn operating the engine until thenormal operation of the engine under the carburetor is taken up. In thismanner I am enabled to pass successively from one stage to the otherwith a very easy action and bring the engine up to normal speed andnormal operation gradually, reliably and without shocks or jars on themoving parts. 7

The invention involves various other features of importance, all ofwhich will be fully set forth hereinafter and particularly pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to'be had to the accompanying drawings, which represent asan example the preferred embodiment of the invention and in whichdrawings Figure 1 is a diagram showing the arrangement of the system;Fig. 2 is a detailed section showing the vaporizing ar rangement for thestarting gasolene; and Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing'the preferredform of distributing valve.

The invention .is adapted especially to multiple cylinder four-cycleengines, and in Fig. 1, 10. indicates three cylinders of such an engine.The number of cylinders In the compression space of each cylinder a pipe11 leads carrying air under pressure. Other fluids under pressure mightbe employed, providing they are Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 9, 1916.

Serial No. 656,730.

not of such a nature as will interfere with the natureof the operationshereinafter described. The air pipes 11 communicate with a distributingvalve 12. I will hereinafter describe the specific form of such a valvewhich I prefer to employ, though particularly the form of this valve isnot material to my invention. The valve may be of any of the known typesin which it is geared with the engine in such a manner as to open thecompressed air supply successively to the pipes 11, according as saidpipes are in communication with cylinders, the pistons of which are inposition to perform their power or working stroke. As the valve 12rotates, therefore, under the movement of the engine, it successivelyopens the air supply to the pipes 11 at the times that the cylinderswith which the pipes communicate have their pistons in firing position.In short, the arrangement is such that by connecting the valve 12 with acompressed air supply and operating the valve, the engine would therebybe caused to operate as a compressed air motor.

1 1 indicates a pump driven from the engine or -otherwise andcompressing air in a storage tank 15 from which a pipe 16 leads to thereceiving port of the valve 12.

17 indicates a globe valve or other means for opening or closing thepipe 16.

The valve 12 is arranged, by its mechanical connection with the engine,so that when the engine stops one of the pipes '11 is opened to the airsupply, such pipe being that which communicates with the port cylinderof the engine, the piston of which is in position for firing. the engineis at rest, by'opening the valve 17 and admitting compressed air to theinlet port of the .valve 12, this air will be conducted to the enginecylinder, the piston of which is ready to work and, upon the airexerting itself on this piston, the engine is caused to move. Thisimparts motion to the valve 12 and instantly thereafter an other pipe 11is opened to the compressed air supply, this other pipe 11 being thatwhich communicates with the cylinder, the piston of which follows thefirst piston in its working stroke and so on, the operation being insuch a manner that the engine will operate as an air motor as long asthe air supply in the tank 15 lasts. Of course, it wi l he understoodthat in the normal operation of the engine under gasolene, the pumpTherefore, when cylinder.

14 is operated to keep a sufficient supply of compressed air ready atall times.

18 indicates a g asolene tank, which may or may not be the supply tankof the engine. To this tank air pressure is communicated by a pipe 19from the tank 15 or any other source, and 20 indicates a-valve by whichthe movement of pressure to the tank 18 may be regulated. From the tank18 a gasolene pipe 21 passes with branches 22 leading up to cylinderpassages 23 opening into the seats of the inlet valve 25 of therespective cylinders 10 or directly into the These valves 24 when seatedclose the nozzles 23, but when the valves 24 are moved from their seats,the nozzles are uncovered and the gasolene from the tank 18 under thepressure of the air therein is caused to be ejected as a jet against theinlet valve in the port leading to the working chamber of the cylinder.Preferably these nozzles 23. as shown in detail in Fig. 2. arecontrolled by needle valves 25. which have blunt points adapted, whenthe valves 25 are shut. to lie coincident with the seats or the valve24:, thus not only placing said nozzles under control. but allowing thevalve seats to be ground without danger of clogging said nozzles. Theinlet valve 2+ controls the usual communications with the carhureter ofthe engine.2(' indicating. for example, the carbureter manifold or otherconnecting medium.

Assuming now that air is stored in tli'e tank 15 and the valve 17 isopen, air will then flow direct to the cylinder 10 which has its pistonrod to move downward on the working stroke. The compressed air will.therefore act on this particular piston and force it downward. This willcause the engine to operate as anair motor. Then upon opening the valve20, the pressure communicated to the tank 18 will cause jets of gasoleneto be introduced into the inlet parts of the engine at such of saidports in which the valves 21 are open. These inlet valves 24 open in theusual succession of the operation of the engine and, therefore. gasolenepriming charges are drawn into the working chambers in accordance withthe engine cycle. The sparking or other igniting system being inoperation, these priming charges will be exploded and gradually theengine will begin to operate not simply as an air motor but as anexplosive engine under priming charges. The valve 17 may now be closed,for the engine will operate under the gasole'ne from the tank 18 and inso doing will gradually draw from the carbureter the normal chargeswhich will be taken up and exploded in their order, and

at this time the ope atoion of the engine will become normal, exceptingforthe priming charges. which may be closed off, shutting the valve 20or otherwise depriving the tank 18 of its air pressure. It should beunderstood that during this operation the valves 25 are open. They maybe left open, in fact, during the normal operation of the engine, but itis considered preferable to close them, as by so doing their seats willbe kept free from dirt from the engine; and it is consideredparticularly desirable to close them when repair work is being done onthe engine. such, for instance, as grinding the valve seats. Thepressure in the tank 18 is used only to lift the gasolene, so that itbecomes immaterial as to just how this pressure .is communicated. Itmay,in fact, be gravity pressure without the aid of air, depending upon thearrangement of the power plant, whether it be in an automobile plant orin some other connection.

Fig. 3 shows a construction of the distributing valve 12, which avoidsincessant and unnecessary wear on the moving parts. The shaft 27. itwill be understood, must rotate with the engine shaft, usually at halfthe speed thereof, and it is provided with a squared portion 27*, onwhich a disk valve 28 is arranged, so that the valvev turns with theshaft but may move freely thereon, axially on the shaft. A light spring29 .is employed to throw the valve 28 away from the seat 12 of thedistributing valve. This seat has a vent 12 and a number of ports 12which communicate respectively with the pipe 11. The disk valve 28 has asingle port 28 and below the disk valve the air supply pipe 16 entersthe valve casing 12. \Yhen the valve 17 is closed, the spring 29 throwsthe disk valve 28 away from its seat, and the valve turns idly in thecasing. \Vhen, however, pressure is admitted below the disk valve, itthrows the disk valve rapidly to its seat. There will be a certainleakage of pressure through the port 28*, it is true, but owing to theproportions of the ports, this will not be sufficient to prevent thevalve 28 from moving up to its seat as described. The vent 12 is therebyclosed, but the port 28 of the rotating disk 28 runs in the path of theports 12 and successively opens them to communication with the pipes 11,supplying the air to the cylinders in the manner described. As soon asthe valve 17 is closed, the pressure in the pipe 16 is exhausted and aspring 29 returns the disk valve to its inactive position. This isrepeated continuously during the normal operation of the engine, and thevalve 28 sim ply spins around in the casing Without any unnecessary wearon any of the parts.

While I have specifically described my invention as applied to an engineof the puppet 'alve type, I desire it understood that it is not solimited and that its principles are applicable to any internalcombustion engine, among which may be enumerated the sliding sleevevalve type.

lLiO

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with an internal combustion or gasolene engine ofmeans for starting the engine by air or other fluid under pressure andmeans controlled by the position of the inlet valve of the engine forinjecting priming charges into the working cylinders during theoperation of the cylinders under air pressure.

2. The combination with an internal combustion or gasolene engine ofmeans for starting the same by air or other fluid under pressure, meansfor leading a priming supply of fuel to the seats of the inlet valves,the ports of such priming charges being closed by the valves near theirseat, whereby priming charges are introduced into the enginesimultaneously with its operation under said air pressure for thepurpose specified.

3. The combination with an internal combustion or gasolene engine ofmeans for starting the same by air or other fluid under pressure, meansfor leading a priming supply of fuel to the seats of the inlet valves,the ports of such priming charges being closed by the valves near theirseat, whereby priming charges are introduced into the enginesimultaneously with its operation under said air pressure and valves forclosing said priming charge ports or nozzles for the purpose specified.

4. The combination with an internal combustion or gasolene engine ofmeans for starting the same by air or other fluid under pressure, meansfor leading a priming supply of fuel to the seats of the inlet valves,the ports of such priming charges being closed by the valves near theirseat, whereby priming charges are introduced into the enginesimultaneously with its operation under said air pressure and valves forclosing said priming charge ports or-nozzles, such valves being of thehandle type with blunt points coinciding when the valves are closed withthe faces of the inlet valve seats.

5. The combination with an internal combustion engine, of means forstarting the same under compressed air, means for simultaneouslysupplying combustible, but themselves non-explosive, priming charges tothe cylinders, and a carbureter communicating With the cylinders tosupply the normal charges, said engine comprising means controlling thesupply of such priming charges and arranged to admit such primingcharges successively during the admission period.

6. The combination with an internal combustion engine, of meansforstarting the same under air or other combustion-supporting fluid underpressure, means for si1nultaneously supplying combustible, butthemselves ineXplosive, priming charges of fuel to the engine cylinders,and a normal fuel supply communicating with the engine cylinder, saidengine comprising means con trolling the supply of such priming chargesand arranged to admit such priming charges successively during theadmission period, whereby the engine may be first operated by compressedair, and will successively take up its operation under the primingcharges and then under the normal fuel charges.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

VILLIAM H. 'SCHOONMAKER. \Vitnesses \VILLIAM R. BAIRD, ALAN C.MoDoNNnLL.

